Washington, D.C. -- The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), the business voice of the LGBT community, celebrates the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation violates federal law.

The Court found that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the federal law prohibiting employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, and religion, includes sexual orientation discrimination as a form of gender discrimination.

“The Seventh Circuit’s ruling put a federal stamp of approval on a long-held corporate best practice of including sexual orientation in nondiscrimination policies. By allowing workers to feel protected in the workplace, they are empowered to bring their best selves to the workplace, which increases productivity, raises performance levels, and retains top LGBT talent,” says NGLCC Co-Founder and President, Justin Nelson. “This is an encouraging step forward toward eradicating discrimination in the workforce, and moves the LGBT business community toward our goal of similar protections and full inclusion in government and private sector contracting. When our community is safe and allowed to thrive, America will achieve its full economic potential.”

NGLCC continues to assert the business case for protecting the millions of hard-working, tax-paying Americans who fuel the U.S. economy, including America’s estimated 1.4 million LGBT business owners who create tens of thousands of jobs and add over $1.7 trillion to the economy, per NGLCC’s groundbreaking America’s LGBT Economy Report. In partnership with the organizations and corporations who actively support LGBT protections, NGLCC will advocate for codifying these protections into federal law and ensuring the American Dream is accessible to every American.

“Business will continue to be the catalyst for positive change for America’s diverse and marginalized communities. At NGLCC, we have nearly 200 corporate and government partners that already understand the economic imperative of inclusivity within their company and throughout their supply chains,” says NGLCC Co-Founder & CEO Chance Mitchell. “Just as we saw a patchwork of marriage laws ultimately evolve into a unified protection of the freedom to marry, this Seventh Circuit decision is an important milestone toward a more-inclusive workplace and business environment where all LGBT Americans are able to achieve their full potential.”

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ABOUT NGLCC:The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce is the business voice of the LGBT community and is the largest global not-for-profit advocacy organization specifically dedicated to expanding economic opportunities and advancements for LGBT people. NGLCC is the exclusive certification body for LGBT-owned businesses. www.nglcc.org | @NGLCC